1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of toilet seat attachments and more specifically to a device to facilitate the raising or lowering of a toilet seat without the need for physical contact with the seat.
2. Prior Art
A commonly encountered problem in the use of the conventional toilet, and especially in the case of a toilet that is used or maintained by strangers, is that the user must touch the seat in order to raise and lower it onto the toilet bowl. Toilet seats, and particularly the undersides thereof, due to their proximity to the bowl, tend to be unsanitary and few people, if any, disinfect them after use. This concern is particularly acute as regards public toilets.
Toilet seat handles are well known in prior art and a number of such devices have been created. However, problems exist with the prior art devices in that such devices have been bulky, complicated or expensive preventing widespread acceptance in the user community. Some devices failed to allow for easy replacement or adjustment because they were rigidly affixed to the seat. Other devices failed to stay affixed over time because they were glued on. Still other devices were overly complicated, requiring foot pedals, automatic lifters and the like. Other devices were simply not aesthetically pleasing.
A more complete discussion of the shortcomings of prior art devices is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,027,472 issued to Goodman on Jul. 2, 1991. Goodman disclosed a handle of two parts joined together by a long bolt. The bolt passes through one part of the handle, threads into the second part, and tightens until the two parts firmly clamp onto the toilet seat. The Goodman device has not gained popular acceptance.
Therefore, there is still a need for a toilet seat handle that enables the user to raise or lower the toilet seat without having to touch the deat. Moreover, there remains a need for a toilet handle that is easy to grasp and which will stay securely attached. Finally, such a device should quickly and easily attach to the seat.
The present invention, described in detail below, overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art toilet seat handle arrangements, and also affords advantages not provided by the toilet seat handle arrangements heretofore disclosed. Thus, it would be a useful advance in the art to provide an inexpensive and quickly re-configurable toilet seat handle that accommodates a large range of seat widths and configurations.
According to the present invention, an improved toilet seat handle is provided that allows a toilet seat to be lowered or raised without requiring manual contact with the seat. The invention includes a removable, adjustable toilet seat handle that fits a variety of toilet seats and allows the user to remove the device for cleaning.
The handle provides the user with (1) a sanitary method of lifting and lowering the toilet seat, (2) a single device which can be used on multiple seats of varying size during its lifetime, and (3) a device which can be cleaned easily and more effectively than any other devices which are permanently affixed to the seat.
In the preferred embodiment, the invention is a device of moderate size and is roughly rectangular. The device includes a base element with a first, inner lip, and an extended handle portion that projects beyond the perimeter of the seat and has a second, outer lip. The handle portion has two serrated arms that are adapted to be inserted into the base element. The base element interior contains serrations matching those of the arms.
When installed, the top of the base element is directly underneath and affixed to the toilet seat. The inner lip of the base rests against the inner edge of the toilet seat. The handle portion is inserted into the base with the outer lip resting against the outer edge of the seat. The arms are slightly divergent. The depth of the handle""s insertion into the base is then adjusted to accommodate the widths of various toilet seats being mass manufactured.
The lips may be made of material having some limited resiliency so that they can be slightly deformed to assure that the seat is tightly engaged. When installed in the preferred embodiment, the device may be positioned in a front quadrant of the seat. However, the position of the device with respect to the toilet seat is not a limiting factor of the invention.
In an alternative embodiment, the handle works like an adjustable, sliding xe2x80x9cclampxe2x80x9d and is a self-contained unit, which does not require screws, adhesive tape or any other method of affixing. In this embodiment of the invention, a user places an outer lip of the handle flush against the outer curve of the toilet seat (roughly in the front quadrant), and then expands the bottom of the clamp (working against a spring action) allowing an inner lip to grab the underneath portion of the seat to snap onto the inner ring of the toilet seat flush against the inner curve.
Once the handle is securely attached to seat, the user simply takes hold of the protruding handle element in order to lift the seat up and down. The device is removed by expanding the clamp. For the more fastidious, a disposable plastic sheath can be provided for one-time use with either embodiment.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved toilet handle arrangement.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat handle that can be easily configured to accommodate a wide variety of shapes and sizes of toilet seats.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a toilet seat handle assembly that may be readily installed and removed without tools and with a minimum of moving parts.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat handle at a much lower cost than prior inventions.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a toilet seat handle that is easily installed, securely affixed to the toilet seat and easily replaceable.
Further features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated by reviewing the following drawings and detailed description of the invention.